How Hollywood Is Reacting To Garry Marshall’s Death

It seems that every other week includes a Hollywood name suddenly being torn from us, regardless of age or status. This sad trend has certainly continued this week, as it was recently announced that film great and actor Garry Marshall sadly passed away. And while we here at Cinema Blend are certainly upset that the man who brought us the likes of Pretty Woman, Happy Days, and Princess Diaries has died, the various Hollywood figures whose lives and careers he has touched have taken to social media to mourn and celebrate the legend.

One of the most heartfelt and kind messengers came from none other than Henry Winkler, whose career was truly changed when Garry Marshall created the 1970's and 80's hit sitcom Happy Days. Without Marshall's work, Winkler might have never made it to the public eye. As such, the Fonz took to twitter to write a message about Marshall's life:

GARRY MARSHALL Rest In Peace .. Thank you for my professional life. Thank you for your loyalty , friendship and generosity .

Henry Winkler begins his tribute by giving Garry Marshall full responsibility for the career he eventually built, which surely represents how humble the Happy Days actor is at heart. And not to be selfish, Winkler also followed up with a second tweet which focused on Marshall's character, rather than simply his work in the world of entertainment.

It turns out that Henry Winkler isn't the only actor who is giving Garry Marshall the credit he deserves in giving inexperienced actors their first shot in the business they call show. Actor Rob Lowe took to twitter to thank Garry Marshall in significantly contributing to the career of both himself and his wife while they were just teens.

Garry Marshall hired me at 15 years old. He gave my wife her start at 18, as a makeup artist. He changed our lives. And MANY others. #love

Rob Lowe's claim that Garry Marshall's projects changed the lives of many other Hollywood professionals is surely an understatement. In fact, he helped create the career of one of the business' most Oscar-worthy actresses, Anne Hathaway, when he directed her in her film debut. That movie, Disney's The Princess Diaries, was also the first film credit of singer turned actress Mandy Moore, who has gone on to garner plenty of TV and film credits (and will be a series regular in NBC's upcoming This Is Us). Both actresses used Instagram to mourn Garry Marshall and thank him for his contribution to their respective careers.

If there's one thing that can be gained in the sadness of Garry Marshall's passing, it's how truly beloved he was within the Hollywood community. Countless film professionals feel indebted to the late director, and his mark on the world of TV and film will be felt for a very long time. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones.